1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a portable computer and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly, to a portable computer and a method of controlling the same, in which a display panel can be detached from a system body and it is possible to control an output of power and/or image data supplied from the system body to the display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a portable computer is provided with a system body and a display panel. An LCD panel has been generally employed as the display panel. The size of the LCD panel can be 14″, 15.4″, 17″ and 19″. The size of LCD panels continues to expand.
Where a portable computer is provided with a relatively expensive LCD, the expensive LCD has to be disposed together with the portable computer due to the usual short life of 2-3 years for the portable computer, resulting in a loss of cost to the consumer.
To overcome such a problem, an improved portable computer has lately appeared that allows the LCD panel to be reused by detaching it from a system body.
The portable computer is generally designed to output power and data to the LCD panel upon turning on power of the system body, whereas in the case of the portable computer in which the LCD panel can be detached, it may utilize technology that the output of the power and the data is interrupted when the LCD panel is detached.
Output of power and data supplied to the LCD panel is interrupted by sensing whether the LCD panel is detached from a connector. However, in this case, since the output of the power and the data will be interrupted in accordance with whether connectors on the system body and LCD panel are connected, it results in a circuit failure due to a sudden voltage change of the power and the data even after interruption. Further, even in a state of interrupting the power and the data supplied to the LCD panel, the power and the data may remain in the connectors, which results in a problem that the portable computer can not secure safety of the system.